Shortly after the revolution, Andrei Rotar was born in Alba Lulia, a small town in Romania. Rotar spent his childhood surrounded by festivities that were accompanied by feasts, containing a variety of vegetables and homemade meats.
Rotar’s grandfather established himself in that community many years earlier, having built his house there where the family would produce wine, sausages, and dry cured hams to last through the cold winter months.
Rotar’s reflection on this time is met with nostalgia and appreciation for the experiences with the close relationship of the food cycle he had.
Observing the community come together to celebrate and eat joyfully was a key memory for Rotar.
This led him on his journey to become a chef. While attending university, Rotar spent time as a kitchen porter at Floriditas, paving the way for his career in the culinary world.
While it wasn’t glamorous, Floriditas provided him with the opportunity to participate in Wellington on a Plate event, giving Rotar insight into the industry.
The fast-paced kitchen environment excited Rotar, and pushed him to keep moving forward toward creating his own dining experience.
Throughout his time at university, Rotar studied critical design, which has maintained a strong influence on his approach to food.
Designing the food to represent a specific time and place, and providing settings and context provides a story for the dish and the customer said, Rotar.
“At The Heke, we strive to offer affordable and delicious food that can keep up with the pace of service, with a changing menu every three to four months.”
Rotar enjoys taking inspiration from diverse cultures and pairing them together to introduce an exciting dish. Currently, the dishes represent a plethora of elements from Asia, South America, and the Middle East.
Rotar has also had the privilege of guidance from Toby Stuart, head chef of Harvest, and Georgia Van Prehn, owner of Alta. Rotar spoke highly of the two and said he could not have achieved what he has without the persistent support and creative influences from the two.
With the recent introduction of two American BBQ smokers, the world of new dishes has been broadened. This new innovation allows a different mix of flavors to be introduced to the menu.
The distillery is almost complete, which will allow customers to enjoy whiskeys, beers, and spirits alongside the dishes to further create an experience. The idea of pairing food and alcohol excites Rotar, despite his awareness of the challenges that lie ahead.
The Heke, located on Waiheke Island, has had its fair share of challenges over the recent years. With COVID-19 resulting in a reduction of travelers, there have been ongoing staffing issues.
Struggling to find chefs for months was a difficult task for Rotar and the team. Fortunately, individuals from around the world found themselves in the opportunity and allowed The Heke to get back up and running.
Like many other restaurants, The Heke faces inflation and the effects that it has had on New Zealand ingredients. Meaning chefs are needed to be trained well above the previous requirements due to the utilisation of alternative ingredients.
Ultimately, the core issue of inflation is that it may get too expensive for customers to eat out, a rather threatening concern for The Heke.
Despite this, Rotar is confident that his team will continue to provide a memorable dining experience for his customers.
Moving forward, Rotar aims to continuously improve The Heke, and maintain good relationships with his staff in doing so. He understands the importance of creating a memorable atmosphere that delivers high-quality service.
“My primary view as a chef is that we are the enablers. The enablers for people to have fun and be fed. When these two occur, people are happy, and that’s all I want.”
